Page 33 of Mated to the Crown
“Thank fuck.” I laugh and hold my hands out so he can uncuff them.
“You will be married soon. We need to get you ready.” His voice sounds solemn.
“Have you heard from Nicholas?” I whisper, looking up at him hopefully. He shakes his head no and I feel a rock in my stomach.
“He received the message but I haven’t heard anything since. Your mother pushed up the wedding so there isn’t muchtime to plan. I hope he will come. I don’t want to see you married off like stock.” He grumbles.
“That is all I am to my mother.” I look at my wrists, twisting them around as the ache soothes. Thankfully the cuffs are off, now I can move around normally. “What should we do?”
“I’m not sure, Your Highness. I am supposed to help you get ready and escort you to the chapel.” He tucks the cuffs into his pocket and motions back toward the bedroom. “We will get you ready now.” Something was off. I followed after him until we entered the closet, the door clicking softly behind us.
“Jeffries told me what she is planning. She wants to poison Isla with tonight’s dinner. Then you will take over the throne.” I turn around and see Morgan’s eyes wide.
“Fuck.” I growl. “Do you know how she will do it?”
“She paid off one of the cooks to put poison in her drink tonight. The chef talked to Jeffries. We owe certain people our lives and Sandra is not one of them.”
I reach out and hug Morgan, clapping my hand on his back.
“Thank you, Morgan. I will make this right.” This was so much more than I could imagine. Everything unfolding in such little time. My mother must have been planning this for a while. “Let’s get ready and hope that Nicholas comes. Can you do me a favor, can you find Lyra and see if she has heard from Celeste?”
“Of course. I will be back. Get ready and wait here, don’t leave or they will know I told you.” He scolds.
I give him a nod, promising to stay in my room as he leaves. I look at the closet, the clothes all hung perfectly. Each suit hangs with perfect spacing, the suits pressed with precision. I would leave this life, make a new life with Celeste. I couldn’t handle this anymore. I wanted freedom. I close my eyes and try to send comfort down the bond but feel a wave of emotion as she opens the bond. All of my previous emotions flood her andI wince. Not what I was expecting but hopefully she ends with comfort.
I have to focus. I need to make sure I have a plan. Who am I kidding? My plan is shit. I just need to get the fuck out of here. The best course is to run at the wedding. I will have a straight shot out the door. The chapel is near the stables so I could take Wrangler and book it to the Valley and find Nicholas and Daisy. But what if Celeste is here? I can’t just leave her. How would I know she is here though?
I growl, a deep rumble in my chest echoes in the closet. One step at a time.
She’s ours.
My beast is unhappy just like me but I need to get to the chapel first. Then I will work on instinct. It has served me well all these years. I just hope I can keep my beast sated for long enough.
I pull on a black jacket, the long silver bars and buttons on the front standing out against the darkness. I pull on black pants and shoes after and I swipe my hair to the side with my hands. I leave the closet and look around at my room. This potentially could be the last time I was here again. Despite the grandiose of the place, I could definitely deal without all the extra. The bed was king sized, Celeste and I could fit in a queen and be snuggled up all night. The shower was a huge walk-in, I would rather press her against the wall in one that still had hot water streaming over us. The view though I would miss. The view was of the gardens, which was ironically both our favorite place.
We would make new memories, new places. I just had to get through this stupid fake wedding first. I sit back down on the bed and wait. Waiting would be easy if I didn’t feel the constant tug and pull of emotions through the bond. She was trying to hide them, something that was only possible because I hadn’t bit her yet. I intended to, immediately. I needed to show herjust how much she meant to me. There was something working beneath those emotions but she was keeping me cut off from seeing her plan.
Morgan knocks on the door, interrupting me from my thoughts and motions me toward him. He gives me a grim nod and points to the hallway. I peek my head out, seeing my mother walking away from my room. Everything inside me wants to kill her, make her pay for the crime of keeping me from my mate. I try to tamper down the beast, knowing that spoiling her plan during the wedding will be enough gossip to talk about for ages.
Morgan motions that we can move and I follow behind him. I keep my head on a swivel, trying to see anything that I can use as an escape. I know this castle better than I should, but still Celeste knows it best. I still think the chapel is the best chance of escape but something nags in the back of my head. What if she is here? What if she arrives after I leave? Will Mother kill her?
I shake my head, trying to hope that Nicholas has a plan. Hopefully a plan that includes Celeste, not just stuffing her in his house and telling her to stay. I don’t think that will plan out very well.
I follow behind Morgan, who is following my Mother. My father is absent as usual, and soon we exit the palace and make our way to the chapel. The wind is sharp today, the sun hanging lazily in the sky while the air blows most of the warmth away. How I wish I could be in the cottage with Celeste at this moment. The windows open, the fresh breeze of spring coasting through. Instead I am here. In a shit show of my own.
We walk toward the chapel and enter through the back door where there are two rooms, typically one for the bride and one for the groom. I look at Morgan who ushers me to the right room but I see the bride to be before I enter. She is pretty for a girl, but she is not Celeste. Her curly blonde hair is pulled up but small curls escape at her ears. She has bright green eyes butis rather skinny for me. Her dress is much too tight, sucking her in so she looks like she is having trouble breathing. She doesn’t look like she wants to be here either. I debate asking if I can talk to her, explain the situation and say we should just call it all off.
Of course, that would be the easy solution. Once I am tucked away in a room with Morgan he affixes a small white flower to the pocket on my suit jacket. I want to talk to him, ask him if he has heard anything else, but the whole time my mind is spinning, trying to figure out a plan.
“I haven’t found Lyra, or Josh, or even Kacie. They must be planning something. Jeffries usually can find them quickly.” Morgan speaks quietly.
“That’s either a good thing or a bad thing. My mother might have worse plans than I thought.” I look down at the flower and grumble.
“It’s time.” Morgan looks at his watch and then to me.
I try to calm myself, blowing out a breath through my nose until I follow Morgan. We walk toward the altar and I try not to see all the people already filing the seats. Quiet conversations go on as I walk by, keeping my head high. We make it to the altar and the minister smiles, shaking my hand.
“My boy. Finally you are getting married.” He laughs and I sneer at him, turning to face away from him and toward the door. The door is a straight shot, I could just run and easily make it even without shifting. I just had to wait until the perfect moment. There were no guards currently, but the room was filling up quickly with people. The amount of Royal families here was surprising for such little notice.
